


We Fall Down Inside

by yumi_michiyo



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Drabbly things, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Humour, Minor Anna/Kristoff (Frozen), Minor Elsa/Hans (Frozen), Modern!AUs, Romance, Various AUs, dorks flirting, lots of bad jokes, oneshots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 09:20:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4014316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yumi_michiyo/pseuds/yumi_michiyo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of unrelated oneshots written for Elsanna!AU week on Tumblr. Rated for sexual content in some, but not all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Piracy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [4mation](https://archiveofourown.org/users/4mation/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna is a pirate. Modern!AU of sorts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 prompt: Pirate!AU.

"Avast, matey!" growled Anna, adjusting her eyepatch. A plastic black hat stamped with a skull-and-crossbones sat at a jaunty angle on her head. "X marks the spot!" She needed mood music. The theme from Pirates of the Caribbean blasted from her phone and she hummed along.

Elsa leaned in the doorway, arms folded across her chest. She rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's antics. "Anna, must you do this every time you torrent things from the internet? I already regret asking you to pick a movie for tonight."

Anna pretended to jump back in shock. "Shiver me timbers! 'Tis a fine booty ready for th' plunder!"

"Anna!" protested Elsa, half-laughing.

The redhead abandoned her laptop, bouncing on the bed and wielding a coat hanger with a flourish. "Prepare for boarding, wench!" The blonde squealed as Anna tackled her around the waist, pulling her down. "You're absolutely ridiculous," gasped Elsa, breathless from where her girlfriend had tickled her in the kidnapping process.

"You wouldn't have me any other way," replied Anna smugly, dropping character for a moment to steal a kiss.

"That's true. I guess I'm stuck with you."

"Stuck with me? Beggin' your pardon, wench, but you're talking to the Dread Pirate Anna, Scourge of the Seven Seas, Renowned Plunderer of Booty, Terror of the Ocean – "

" – Drooler upon Pillows…"

"I do _not_ drool!"

"Yes you do. My adorable gross pirate."

Anna pouted. Elsa laughed, playing with one of her braids. "What, tired of your wench already?"

"Yes. You're a stinker."

"I suppose we're well-matched," murmured Elsa. She trailed kisses all over Anna's face – avoiding her lips – until the scowling redhead seized her chin and kissed her properly.

The laptop chimed, and Anna grinned. "Aaaannd done." She hopped off the bed.

"How many did you download?" asked Elsa, blinking at the lines of text the redhead was scrolling through.

"Plenty to keep us spoilt for choice. Oh, and I got subtitles for them all."

"That's a pretty impressive booty."

Anna leered. "You said it," she said, leaning over to squeeze Elsa's butt playfully. The blonde yelped and blushed. "My favourite treasure."

" _Anna_!"


	2. Rosetta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Anna says things she really should have kept to herself. Not that she’s complaining, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Week Two: Coffeeshop!AU.

Anna held her breath. In one hand, the jug of perfectly frothed milk was poised over the coffee cup. Slowly, very slowly, she poured hot milk into the cup, moving the jug back and forth, creating a rippling pattern on the surface of the cup. When the rosetta filled the space, the barista pulled her jug away with a flourish.

Kristoff leaned over, grunting his approval. "Not bad."

"Not bad? That was perfect, and you know it." She lifted the cappuccino carefully onto the serving counter for Sven to take to the waiting customer.

"Not bad for you," clarified Kristoff, and received an elbow to the ribs for his trouble. "Okay, I was joking. That was pretty good."

"See? Wasn't that hard to admit, wasn't it?" she said, rinsing out the milk jug and cleaning the steam wand.

"Just a little." He reached under her into the fridge to get milk for the next order. "But maybe you should check out the competition first." Hans jerked a thumb out the window. Across the street, the North Mountain was packed with people, with a queue in front of the counter. A young man with auburn hair and sideburns was busy behind the coffee machine. Anna scowled, and stuck her tongue out at him despite knowing he couldn't see her.

Arendelle Café, in comparison, was half-full. "They're definitely not there for the coffee. I mean, have you seen their crema? It would make you cry – and I haven't even mentioned the taste."

Kristoff chuckled. "What a sweet girl you are."

"I'm completely serious, I've tasted their coffee – for research purposes, of course." Anna finished wiping off the counter and rested her elbows on it, surveying the café. "This place has been my dream ever since I was a kid, and I'm not gonna give up on it."

He nudged her side, but the smile he gave her was warm with affection. "I know, Anna. You're doing a great job so far. And speaking of their coffee, you'll get your chance to show off your skills in the barista competition. I heard their barista's participating as well."

"Oooh, I'm so going to demolish them. Stupid sideburns and his stupid coffee." She gave the coffee tamper a vicious twist.

* * *

Anna was practically buzzing with nervous energy as she got ready for the preliminaries. Just as she was imagining her victory speech over a sobbing sideburned man, she froze.

The person waiting at the table wore the familiar North Mountain apron, but she definitely wasn't Sideburns; the young woman looked about Anna's age, with striking features and platinum-blonde hair in a braid.

"Oh," she said while Anna was still gaping, glancing at the redhead's apron, "you're from Arendelle Café, aren't you?" The woman held out her hand to shake. "I'm Elsa. It's nice to finally meet you."

"You don't have sideburns," blurted Anna as she took the hand, and promptly turned scarlet once she realized what she'd said. "Oh crap – forget I said anything."

Elsa barely held back a laugh. "I'm afraid I don't." Her ice-blue eyes sparkled with amusement. Despite her wishing the ground would swallow her up, Anna found herself mesmerized by those eyes. "My colleague, Hans, couldn't make the competition today, so I'm replacing him."

"Oh." Anna didn't really trust herself to speak. "I've never seen you around before."

"I've just started working there."

"I see," she said.

Just then, an overhead announcement called for competitors to move to their stations.

"So – may the best barista win?"

"Of course." Anna turned away – and managed to trip over her own feet. She didn't fall down – that would have been the cherry on top of the failure cake – but kept on walking, head held high, face burning.

Kristoff leaned over, smirking from ear to ear. "Looks like somebody's smitten."

"I am not _smitten_."

"Suuuuure."

"I don't care if she's freaking gorgeous. I'm gonna crush her."

"Have a crush on her, more like. Ow!"

"You deserved that."

* * *

"I can't believe I lost," wailed Anna.

Kristoff shrugged. "Hey, that's life, Fiestypants. You win some, you lose some."

"Or in this case, just lose." Anna stared glumly at her coffee-spotted apron. "Her cappuccino was flawless. Her espresso shots were perfect. And the latteart – who the heck makes an actual snowman out of foam? Who?"

"She did," said the blond man dryly, "and she's through to the next round." He straightened up and clapped a hand on Anna's shoulder. "You did pretty well for your first competition, you know. That's something to be proud of."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks, Kristoff."

"Anytime."

"… but just so you know, I haven't forgiven you for that smitten remark. You're on cleaning duty tomorrow."

"Worth it."

* * *

Back in her little café, Anna busied herself with coffee again; particularly the latteart . She already had the simple rosetta pattern mastered; now she was practicing the trickier wave tulip pattern, but hadn't yet gotten the hand motion quite right –

She winced as her it came out rather spiky. "Ah well," said the barista, pouring sugar into the coffee and setting it aside for later, joining a neat row of others. She deliberately ignored them.

"You almost had it then."

Anna jumped. Elsa was standing behind the serving counter, a small smile on her face. "Elsa! You scared me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." She was in jeans and a simple blue boatneck shirt, but Anna couldn't stop staring.

"You look nice out of the apron," said Anna immediately, and froze as the words sank in. "… Please tell me you didn't hear anything."

Elsa shook her head, still smiling. "It's noisy in here, isn't it?"

The redhead decided to push on. "Um, I mean hi? Sorry, I'm a little buzzed. Too much caffeine, although I still think you can't get enough of it." She was vaguely aware she was rambling, but the growing amusement on Elsa's face was addictive.

"I agree with you."

Anna blinked. "You do? Wow. I mean – that's a first. Kristoff thinks I'm crazy and that I talk too much – well, there you go."

This time Elsa laughed out loud. "It's fine. I don't mind at all." Judging from the pinking of cheeks that accompanied the statement, she hadn't really meant to say it out loud.

Something niggled at the back of Anna's mind. "Back at the barista competition," she began, "you were saying something about finally meeting me?"

The faint colour in Elsa's cheeks blossomed into crimson. "Well, that," she said awkwardly, "I've come here for coffee once or twice."

"Really?"

"Yes. I rather like the ambience." The blonde glanced at the painting hanging across the room. "Is that Joan of Arc?"

Anna beamed. "Yep. You're the first person to notice."

"Interesting choice of decoration."

"I like Joan. She was really an inspiration. When I saw that print at a yard sale, I knew I had to have it for the café."

"You own this place?" Elsa looked impressed; Anna tried not to puff her chest out.

"Yep. Started it right out of college. It's been my childhood dream."

"That's amazing."

"Thanks."

Elsa turned her attention to the café's décor. Anna fidgeted with the milk jug still in her hands. "So…" The redhead had meant to continue the conversation. She had another sensible topic all lined up, but all coherent thought left her mind when Elsa met her gaze.

"I could help you with your latteart."

"I – what?"

Elsa nodded at the jug. "I couldn't help but notice you're practicing a wave tulip pattern. I could give you a few pointers – that is, if you don't mind – "

"I would love a few pointers from you," breathed Anna. "I mean, who wouldn't? You're pretty girl – pretty good! At latte art. Yeah."

"Thanks," said Elsa. The shy smile had yet to leave her face. "Do you have a spare apron I could borrow?"

Anna waved at one on a peg. As Elsa pulled it on, the redhead took the opportunity to bury her burning face in her hands and attempt to erase her memory of all the disastrous exchanges that had occurred – which were terrifyingly numerous.

"Now," began Elsa, her voice taking on a firm quality – yet losing none of its musicality in Anna's wildly biased opinion – "you start out with the basic hand movement for the rosetta, but at the same time, you want to make the waves roll around the cup." She demonstrated. Anna watched, fascinated, by the delicate swirls of foam and crema. "Then you make the tulip within the waves."

The redhead nearly clapped when Elsa presented her with a flawless wave tulip. "That was incredible!"

Elsa blushed. "Thank you." She held out the milk jug to Anna. "You want to give it a try?"

Anna's smile faltered – just a little. She took the jug anyway; she wasn't the type to back down from a challenge.

Elsa hovered just behind her, watching her froth the milk. The redhead felt strangely warm. "Here I go," she said, and began to pour. She was dimly aware of Elsa leaning in, feeling warm breath on her neck, and heat began to creep up her skin.

"That's it," said Elsa encouragingly as Anna moved the cup and jug, waves fanning out over the surface. "Now the tulip…"

Anna held her breath. The final heart lapped out, and she jerked the jug up.

"That's perfect."

"Perfect? No way – look, it's a little wonky, and the tulip has a mutant petal."

"Still good for a first try," said Elsa. Anna blushed.

"Well – I have to get back now. My shift is starting soon."

"Oh." The barista was at a loss for words. "I guess I'll see you around, then?"

"I'm looking forward to it," said Elsa.

When Anna was wiping down the serving counter, she found a paper napkin, neatly folded and tucked away.

 _Call me if you need any more help with your latteart_ , it read, and there was a phone number written underneath.

When Kristoff came back in, red-faced from cleaning, he didn't even ask why Anna was lying on the floor and making strange noises.


	3. A Closetful of Dresses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna had a secret closet in the corner of her apartment. In it were 27 bridesmaid dresses which she couldn’t bear to throw away.
> 
> Modern!AU. Based on the movie [27 Dresses](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/27_Dresses).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Classic romantic movie!AU. This movie isn’t a classic yet, but it is my favourite romantic movie, and I was champing at the bit to write something based off it.
> 
> Obviously I haven’t used the whole plot and setting from the movie for this oneshot; I’ve modified it quite a bit. In this Elsanna version, Elsa attends a wedding and meets this sweet girl named Anna who’s rather obsessed with weddings. Despite the initial clash of personalities, she convinces Anna to let her write an article about the girl with 27 dresses. Things happen, and they finally get married two years later, with 27 bridesmaids.

Anna loved weddings. She was constantly dreaming of the perfect wedding, the perfect bridegroom (actually, she already had the perfect bridegroom in mind, only he didn't know it yet), and the perfect wedding cake.

She loved weddings so much, she had been a bridesmaid for nearly all her friends' weddings (and a few friends of friends, but who was counting?).

Anna had a secret closet in the corner of her apartment. In it were 27 bridesmaid dresses which she couldn't bear to throw away. This was her guilty pleasure, her treasure trove, which no one was permitted to see – until now.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "You're never going to get a chance to wear these again," she drawled. "Why don't you throw them away? Think of all the space you'll gain."

The redhead gasped indignantly. "Never wear these again? Of all the nerve!"

"It's clearly a lie told by bridezillas to make sure their bridesmaids look like cotton candy, therefore ensuring the poor groom doesn't run for his life," called Elsa. "I mean – look at this. A mermaid tail?"

Anna marched over, snatching the dress out of Elsa's hands, face almost as red as her hair. "It was an ocean-themed wedding. Ariel looked simply radiant."

"Whatever you say. And this?" Elsa held up a barely-there dress, composed of veils – and not much else. "What was the theme, a harem? Lucky man."

"Arabian Nights!"

The blonde continued to rummage through the dresses. "Now _this_ is truly terrifying." A garishly-streaked pink-and-blue dress was thrust into Anna's face. "Explain yourself."

"Well, the wedding planners couldn't decide whether it should be pink or blue, so they… compromised."

Elsa shot her an exasperated look. "Compromised. That's one word for it. I can't believe you said that with a straight face."

"I'm being perfectly serious here." Anna snatched the dress from her, stuffing everything back into the closet and slamming the doors closed – or, more accurately, hurling herself against the doors until they shut. "Do you think I'd joke about something as important as this?"

"Important? Marriage is a three ring circus; engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering. _That's_ important. All those poor souls at the altar ought to know that before they commit to their bridezillas."

Anna seemed to swell. "You – you! You're insufferable!"

"No, just realistic," replied Elsa dryly. She scribbled a few notes on the notepad in front of her. "And that's about it." The reporter stood up. "Thanks for the material for my article. Can I buy you dinner? A drink? Before you get the wrong idea, it's just a friendly act, not a date."

Anna glowered. "One drink. That's it."

* * *

" – and then the idiot fainted at the altar."

Anna snorted. It seemed like Elsa's stories were getting funnier the more she drank. She took another sip of her Long Island iced tea. "And then what happened?"

Elsa finished her martini and signaled to the bartender for another. "Wedding was called off, of course."

"That's terrible!"

"No, that was a close call. He dodged a bullet." Elsa's hair had fallen out of its tight bun into a braid that hung over her shoulder. Now that Anna was looking at her properly, she had very nice blue eyes. The redhead took another sip.

The reporter's expression turned thoughtful. "But it wouldn't have worked out anyway."

"And what would you know about weddings, O Cynical One?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Plenty, actually."

"Oh, yeah?"

The martini arrived. Elsa contemplated it for a moment, stirring her olive around. "I'm not made out of stone and bitterness, like what you seem to think. I do like weddings. Personally, my favourite part of a wedding is watching the groom when the bride comes out. Everyone's looking at the bride, so they miss this completely pathetic expression the guy wears when he sees her. Like she's the only person in the world for him."

Anna's mouth fell open. Elsa blushed. "… What?"

"You… I can't believe you just said that. That's my favourite part of weddings."

"Really?"

"Really."

They locked gazes, breaking into awkward laughter a moment later. Anna tried to drink her Long Island, discovered the glass was empty, and ordered another.

* * *

There was music. She knew that song. Anna could have been dancing on the bar – things got foggy after the third drink – and she could have been singing along.

But then Elsa kissed her hard, and all rational thought vanished.

* * *

Anna woke up pleasantly warm – so warm, she didn't want to move. She snuggled closer to the person beside her, who hummed in her sleep.

Blue eyes blinked open slowly. "Anna…?"

That was her name, in a very familiar voice. Anna struggled with the urge to simply doze off, trying to figure out why she found that voice so familiar…

 _Oh._ Oh _. Oh shit._

Her eyes snapped open. Elsa was looking everywhere except at her, face magenta with embarrassment. They flew apart.

"So," began the blonde, and stopped awkwardly.

"That happened."

"Yeah."

Anna chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. "So now what?"

* * *

"Anna, you're unbelievable."

Anna stuck her head around the corner, huffing indignantly. "Why? What have I done this time?"

Elsa threw up her hands in exasperation. "This – this mess! I've been nagging you about it for a year now, why haven't you cleared the dresses out?"

"I'm not throwing them away!"

The blonde placed her hands on hips, wheeling around to stare at her. "We agreed I'd move in with you and sell my apartment because your place's bigger – and the condition we both agreed on was that you'd get rid of the dresses." Elsa waved at the closet. "Look at all this space we could be using!"

Anna rolled her eyes – but she couldn't help the grin that was threatening to come. "You're adorable when you're being all realistic."

"You make it sound cute," complained Elsa, but she was already relenting, walking over to her fiancée. Anna smiled slyly, tugging her in for a kiss.

"It _is_ cute," she said when they parted for air. Elsa rolled her eyes in response.

"Actually, I'm saving them for our wedding," confessed Anna, tangling her fingers with Elsa's. "That's how we met, after all."

"Our wedding?" The reporter resisted the urge to comment on her fiancée's idea of romance.

"We'll need bridesmaids, won't we?"

"And so you're dressing them up as what? Cotton candy, harem girls, or paint factory explosions?"

Her smile turned positively wicked. "No one said we had to pick just one."


	4. The Lonely One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Hey Elsa, do you want to build a snowman?”_
> 
> _The blonde girl didn’t smile immediately and say yes, as she normally does. She feels strange – like there were so many little pricklings under her skin, and it was so cold – and she can’t move._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 prompt: Marvel/DC Universe!AU. I definitely prefer Marvel over DC, so this is set in the X-Men universe, no particular story arc.
> 
> Not only have I made references to some famous X-Men and future X-Men), but also to my favourite comic series, [Runaways](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaways_%28comics%29). For the sake of plot, I've mixed events from different X-Men universes into the story.

"Hey Elsa, do you want to build a snowman?"

The blonde girl didn't smile immediately and say yes, as she normally does. She feels strange – like there were so many little pricklings under her skin, and it was so _cold_ – and she can't move.

Anna notices. "Elsa?" She reaches out a hand to touch –

"N-no!"

She flings out her hands in panic, and _ice_ shoots out, hitting Anna in the chest.

" _Anna_!"

* * *

She wears gloves all the time, and she doesn't leave her house. Elsa can barely keep her powers under control, and she doesn't want to hurt anyone.

Especially not Anna again.

"Elsa?" As always, her mother sounds so old, so tired. "You have a visitor. No, it's not Anna."

"Then who – ?"

"Elsa?" An unfamiliar voice, male. Warm and friendly. "May I speak with you for a little while?"

Her hand hesitates on the doorknob, and ice blossoms on the metal. She doesn't feel the cold, but the guilt eats a little more into her. Elsa slowly opens it.

Her visitor is a bald man in a wheelchair, though his face doesn't betray any weakness. "Hello, Elsa," he says gently, "my name is Professor Charles Xavier, and I run a school for gifted youngsters." His gaze falls on the iced-over doorknob, and Elsa flushes. "Like yourself."

"Gifted?" She thinks it a horrible word for a curse like hers.

"Yes." He extends a hand, palm-up, and automatically Elsa flinches.

 _It's okay, Elsa_ , his voice echoes in her head, and her eyes snap open in surprise, _you don't have to be afraid. You won't hurt me. I can help you_.

"Help me?"

"Yes." He's speaking normally again. "You belong to a special group of people called mutants, and you have a gift. I would like you to be my student. I can teach you to control it."

Control. It's an alien word. "And I won't hurt anyone again?"

"No."

Elsa firms her jaw, thinking of Anna pale and still, an icy tendril of white curling in her auburn hair. "I'll go."

* * *

Very quickly they find that her ice powers are tied to her emotions, and her fear keeps her from properly manifesting them; the ice grows jagged and deadly around her, and it doesn't respond to her will. Unlike the other students, she doesn't revel in the fact she isn't a monster, and fear continues to be a problem for her.

Bobby Drake is the only person she'll let near her, and only because she's certain she can't freeze him to death. Professor X she lets in her mind; she can't hurt him either.

Elsa doesn't attend classes with the others; she doesn't leave her room most of the time.

Until she sees a very familiar girl with auburn hair – and a white streak through one braid – enter the school grounds.

* * *

She's running through the hallways, yet careful not to accidentally bump into anyone. She barely notices that she's almost caused Professor McCoy to drop his books when she darted around the corner, and she came close to elbowing Wolverine in the ribs ("What's your hurry, darlin'?").

Elsa reaches the reception area. The tall blonde woman dressed in white with Anna disappears into an office, and Anna doesn't notice, because she's just seen Elsa.

"… Elsa?"

"Anna," she says.

Anna's running towards her, face alight with joy; Elsa has to step back before the auburn-haired girl can hug her. "Please," she explains, heart wrenching painfully at the hurt expression Anna's wearing, "I don't want to hurt you again."

But Anna's shaking her head, laughing. "You can't hurt me, Elsa," she breathes, "because I'm like you." She lifts her palm, lets a spark dance across her hand. "I'm a mutant, too."

* * *

Anna's here as a student of the Massachussetts Academy – another school for young mutants, she explains. It was the Academy that came to her house four years ago when she almost burned it down. "Ms. Frost said that mutant powers usually manifest at puberty," she explains, letting flames play over her fingertips, "so I didn't know I was a mutant too until I was fourteen."

Elsa was fourteen when she hurt Anna. She's twenty-one now, and it's been seven years since they've last seen each other. Anna doesn't mention all of this, even though it's clear she's thinking it from the distant look in her blue-green eyes.

She clenches her fist and snuffs out the fire, throwing Elsa a fond look. "I'm glad you're okay."

That's it. No _you hurt me_. No _why didn't you contact me_. Still, Elsa hears the words in her mind, as clearly as Professor X's telepathic link. She shrinks away, and Anna's expression changes.

"Elsa?"

"It was nice to see you again – " _more than nice_ " – but you should go."

"Go?" Anna's half-laughing in bewilderment. "But we've only just found each other again. You're my best friend, Elsa – you always have been."

"I can't." She really can't. Despite Professor X's promises, despite Bobby's help, her control on her emotions – not even the ice – was tenuous at best, and at worst… Elsa shook her head, clearing the thoughts from her mind. "I – I'm sorry, Anna."

She ran. Even if she couldn't do anything else, at least she was good at running away.

* * *

It's war. The Sentinels have come.

And so has Anna.

Elsa fights desperately to get to her side, the urge to protect Anna driving her forward. Elsa's vaguely aware of the chaos in the school, that the X-Men are deploying, and classmates she barely knew are falling around her, but all she can focus on is the redheaded girl.

She looks so small, standing her ground against the looming robot.

Elsa doesn't hesitate; she rips off her gloves.

* * *

The moment Anna opens her eyes is the happiest moment in Elsa's life.

She blinks once, twice, and then smiles. "Hi."

"Hi."

Anna tries to sit up, winces and touches her ribs. "Ow."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. A little sore – no, make that very sore – but I'm fine." She glances around. "Where are we? Xavier's?"

Elsa doesn't meet her eyes. "Close by. You're sure you're fine?" she asks, slowly getting to her feet.

"Yes – Elsa, what are you going to do?" Anna's eyes narrow. "You're not running away again, are you?"

"I'm not – "

"Yes, you are." Anna struggles upright; Elsa's eyes widen in alarm, and she reaches for her – managing to pull back at the last minute, and wrapping her arms around herself. The redhead notices.

Before Elsa can react, Anna's hand shoots out and grips her wrist. Ice coils around the redhead's fingers, and the blonde cries out in alarm, tugging her hand away.

When Elsa finally tears her horrified gaze away from her hand, she realizes Anna's staring straight at her. "Don't shut me out again."

She could have held back the tears. But she sees the white streak of hair intertwined with one of Anna's braids, and it breaks her.

The next thing she knows, she's in Anna's arms. Elsa wants to push her away, to run, but she's missed this – missed her – and it's been so long since she's let anyone touch her. Anna is so warm.

Elsa clings back. Her tears don't freeze this time; they soak into Anna's sleeve.

* * *

"Where will you go, Elsa? Home?"

Elsa shakes her head dumbly. The school was never home, and neither is the place where her parents live. If she's honest with herself –

– home is where Anna is, and always has been.

Anna smiles. "Well, I'm not going back to the Academy either. I'll bet it's the Sentinels' next target."

"Then where will you go?"

Her smile burns bright in the darkened space. "I'm coming with you."

* * *

They briefly consider joining another group of young mutants they've heard of, but decide against it. "I don't really want to fight," says Elsa, looking down at her gloved hands.

Anna smiles. "That's okay. We'll be just fine on our own."

Slowly, Elsa smiles back.

* * *

While the city rebuilds itself, mutants and humans alike struggling to get along, Elsa and Anna rebuild their own friendship. Anna offers to share what she's learnt from the Academy. Elsa learns to relax a little more when all her errant ice gets melted away by Anna's fire.

She doesn't remove the gloves, though.

* * *

Winter is particularly harsh on an unheated warehouse, but Anna doesn't dare stoke their modest fire into anything larger.

"You don't need to," says Elsa, "I don't really feel the cold."

Anna huffs. "Well, I do." She wraps a blanket around her shoulders, motions for Elsa to come closer. "Oh, come on, don't leave me hanging," she says teasingly when the older girl hesitates.

Elsa shifts closer, but still makes sure their bodies don't touch.

"You said you don't feel cold, but you wear those gloves all the time."

Elsa suppresses the urge to pull her hands out of sight. "It has nothing to do with the cold."

Anna's eyes flicker, reflecting the flames. She draws closer.

The kiss is tentative at first. Elsa's lips part in surprise; Anna presses near, and her hand cradles the other girl's cheek. Elsa starts to panic, feeling the ice spread up her hands –

It thaws immediately afterwards. Anna breaks the kiss to stare down at the damp blankets. "Huh," she comments matter-of-factly, "love thaws."

"Love?" Elsa feels the warmth slowly flare into comforting heat. She meets Anna's gaze, and the redhead nods in understanding. Elsa stands up, lifts a hand –

– the ice responds to her will, gentle as a lamb, and she conjures a single, glittering snowflake. Anna's grinning madly now.

Elsa dissipates the snowflake, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. "You love me?" she asks dumbly, still unable to process the words. Anna makes an exasperated noise.

"Do you even have to ask?"

The blonde laughs. Tears of happiness run down her face even as she lets Anna pull her in for another kiss, and another.

* * *

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

Elsa smiles immediately and says yes. Instead of heading outside, however, she waves her hand and makes it snow inside the abandoned warehouse.

Anna doesn't stop smiling the entire time, and neither does Elsa, even when they forget about the snowman altogether in favour of rolling in the snow, exchanging more than a few kisses now and then.


	5. Backpacker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much for a nice, quiet solo trip. In which Elsa deals with an unexpected travel buddy. Modern!AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Week Five: Roadtrip!AU. Very, very loosely based on my own experiences as clearly I'm not dating a gorgeous lady I met in Japan. The places mentioned are real places, and I strongly recommend visiting them if you ever go to Japan.

"Wow."

The cherry blossoms were as spectacular as she'd always imagined. Elsa walked on, completely forgetting about taking pictures, simply enjoying the view. The travel guide had said that the Philosopher's Path was one of the best places in Kyoto to view cherry blossoms, but what appealed to Elsa the most was the serenity of the place.

"This is amazing!" rang out a clearly-foreign voice. Elsa flushed when some people turned to look at her. _It wasn't me!_ , she wanted to protest.

The offending tourist had a huge camera out, aggressively photographing the trees, the canal, the surrounding shophouses, and even the passerbys. She had auburn hair in twin braids which clashed with the pink hues of the petals.

Elsa groaned and quickened her pace. Hopefully she'd make it past the girl without attracting her attention, and then she'd be free to enjoy the rest of the path in peace.

The camera clicked in her face, and the blonde yelped in alarm.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"And how is suddenly taking a picture of me not meant to startle?" They were speaking in hushed voices, not wanting to attract anymore unwanted attention. Elsa sent out a silent apology to the Japanese for loud tourists.

The girl lowered her camera, grinning sheepishly. She had striking blue-green eyes, and Elsa was momentarily caught off-guard. "Yeeah. Sorry about that. Poor life decision. It's because you're really gorgeous – did I say that out loud? Oh, crap, I did. And this as well. Sorry. Shutting up now."

Elsa blushed and hurried on her way. _Weird_.

* * *

The backpackers' dorm was warm and comforting after a long day out, and Elsa sighed happily. The weather in Norway made springtime in Japan almost warm, but there was nothing like coming back to a cosy place.

The 6-bed dorm room was empty when she had checked in the previous day, but there were an unfamiliar pair of boots in the front, and she supposed her roommate must have arrived.

Elsa slid open the door, and froze.

A very familiar girl sat cross-legged on her lower bunk, across the room from Elsa's. "Oh!"

"It's you," said Elsa.

She smiled, setting down her camera, extending a hand for Elsa to shake. "I'm Anna." Anna's smile broadened. "What a coincidence, huh?"

"Coincidence indeed," agreed Elsa, glad that she was checking out the next morning.

* * *

The morning was cold and crisp. Elsa had never been this glad to be leaving a place; Anna snored like a chainsaw, and – _good lord, was that_ drool _on her pillow?_ The blonde repressed a shudder, adjusting her backpack on her shoulders and setting out for the train station.

* * *

The Kumano region was simply breathtaking. Elsa stood, feeling humbled, as the Nachi waterfall thundered on the rocks before her, oblivious to the curious glances she got from the people around her.

Many foreigners were unaware of such a remote place. Elsa loved it all the more for that.

Well, until she turned to go and spotted a familiar head of auburn hair coming down the path.

"Oh, _no_ …"

"Hey! Elsa!" The girl waved with her walking stick, nearly clobbering an older Japanese man. "Oh, _gomen nasai_!" She bounded down the last few stops, skidding to a halt in front of Elsa. "What a coincidence, eh?"

"Indeed," said Elsa stiffly.

"We should have shared itineraries last night, then we could have come here together."

"Perhaps."

"Hey, are you leaving already? D'you mind waiting a bit? I won't be long!" Anna darted off without waiting for an answer, getting as close to the waterfalls as she could, camera whirring away as she snapped shot after shot. Elsa, torn between sneaking off and waiting for the girl, hovered uncertainly.

Anna was rather attractive – in fact, just her type – and she could have been interested if part of the reason she had embarked on this solo journey was to get over her recent break-up. And if the girl wasn't so… _loud_.

"Thanks for waiting." Anna came back at a more stately pace, her attention focused on the camera preview screen. "Shall we go?" Elsa shrugged non-commitally.

"Depends on where you're headed. I'm going to Hongu-taisha next."

Anna's eyes lit up. "No way! That's where _I'm_ headed!"

Elsa fought the urge to scream.

* * *

"So," said Elsa dubiously, "where are you headed after this?"

Anna pulled out a huge map from her bag. "I'm going to Hiroshima tomorrow. You?"

Elsa swallowed hard. "Uhm." She cleared her throat. "Me too."

"This is awesome!" As it turned out (of course), they had booked beds in the same backpackers' dorm in Hiroshima. "So, Elsa…?"

"What?"

"I was thinking – how about we become travel buddies? I know you don't really like me and we've only just met, but we're going the same way and we're travelling alone – I get that you got your reasons, and I totally understand if you don't want to, we can just go our separate ways but in the same direction – "

"Wait, wait," said Elsa, holding up a hand, "back up. I don't really like you? Where did you get that idea from?"

Anna laughed nervously. "Well – you never smile? And you just stare at me whenever I say something. Granted, I say a lot of things – in fact I ramble pointlessly – you've got that look on your face, which means I'm doing it again."

Elsa blinked. "That doesn't mean I don't like you. You're just… overwhelming." She blushed. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

"No, don't apologise. That's the nicest thing someone's said about me." Anna looked sheepish, tucking a lock of hair behind one ear.

Elsa's gaze fell on the map, and the web of bold red marker lines crisscrossing it. "Is this your complete travel plan?"

"Yeah."

"I think we can work something out."

"Really? Yay!" Anna flung her arms around Elsa's neck in her excitement; the blonde stiffened at the sudden contact. "Sorry!" The redhead lifted both hands away. "I get carried away sometimes. Okay, most of the time."

"I see." But she smiled shyly, not wanting to make her new travel companion uncomfortable, and was rewarded with a dazzling grin.

* * *

Both girls could hardly believe that two months had flown by, and it was time to go home. Anna's flight home to Boston was in the afternoon, an hour before Elsa's flight to Bergen.

"So," said Anna, fidgeting with the strap of her backpack, "I guess it's time."

"Yeah." Elsa didn't want to go. She had spent the last two months tolerating, learning about, and finally falling in love with the other girl. Time hadn't passed quickly enough, and then now… now, it was gone in a blink of an eye.

Anna was feeling the same, judging from the reluctance with which she glanced at her boarding gate, the ticket tucked in her passport, and Elsa. She reached for Elsa's hand, squeezing it briefly. "We'll keep in touch, won't we?"

"Of course." To her horror, the blonde girl's throat was suddenly tight. She squeezed Anna's hand back, trying to convey the reassurance she couldn't put into words.

Anna's flight announced the last call. The redhead pulled Elsa in for a long hug. "Goodbye, Elsa," she whispered in Elsa's ear, and then she was gone, disappearing through airport security without a second glance back.

Dumbly, Elsa turned away, tears clouding her eyes.

* * *

If the journey home was tiring, Elsa didn't feel it; she spent the entire time in a haze, mind filled with memories from her trip. She unlocked her apartment door, flung her baggage into a corner, collapsed into bed, and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Elsa was woken by an insistent knocking. "Who is it?" she called in Norwegian, slightly irritated. She had only been asleep a few hours – five, checking the clock – and she was a mess, literally and emotionally.

The blonde pushed her hair into something more manageable and flung the door open.

Anna stood there, hand raised. "Um. Hi?"

Elsa's jaw dropped. "Anna? What are you doing here?"

She smiled that sheepish grin Elsa had come to love. "I've been a complete and utter idiot, so… I'm here to fix it."

"Fix it?" echoed Elsa.

"Yep." Anna drew herself up to her fullest height – which was just a few inches shy of Elsa's. "I'm in love with you, Elsa Brundtland, and I have been since that day under the cherry blossoms. I just was too cowardly to say anything this entire time."

"… and you flew all the way here to tell me that?"

"Um. Yes?" She toyed with the end of one braid. "Okay, I know it's really creepy and all that, showing up unannounced even though it always works in romantic movies. I'm totally cool if you're not into women – or just me – and we can be international friends or something, though after this stunt I would understand if you never wanted to talk to me again – "

Elsa cut her off with a hard kiss. "Then I guess we're both idiots, because I'm in love with you too," said the blonde, wrapping her arms around Anna's waist, pressing their foreheads together.

"Oh."


	6. The Namesmiths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had many nicknames; Freckles, Red, Fiestypants. But she was looking forward to her eighteenth birthday, when she would get a name - and accordingly - her place in the world. Dystopian-ish!AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Week Six: Sci Fi!AU. The Elsanna is incredibly rushed (there should be at least 10k more words in between) but I don't think I'll revisit this AU again, unless I have the time in future and right now I'm rushing my still late submissions for the week.
> 
> This isn't really dystopian per se; rather, it's meant to be a commentary on racial prejudice, among other themes. It's a mashup of _Hunger Games_ , _Divergent_ , _Harry Potter_ , and numerous other things that you probably don't have to squint to see.
> 
> Elsa's explanation of the Northern Lights is the real one at least, according to contemporary science…. I've mashed up my abysmal understanding of physics and logic to come up with a vaguely-sciency explanation. Science side of Tumblr, please don't flame me.

Growing up, she had quite a few nicknames. Red, for the striking auburn colour of her hair. Freckles for the ubiquitous dots that encompassed her entire body. Her best friend called her Fiestypants – not because of her clothing, that was for sure. The first nickname was the one that stuck.

Red couldn't wait for her eighteenth birthday. That was when the Namesmith would give her a proper name.

* * *

Kristoff ruffled her hair. "It's a miracle to see you awake this early, Fiestypants."

She scowled, tugging her twin braids away. "The morning is evil."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." He turned his attention towards breakfast, digging into the basket of bread with gusto.

Normally she would be diving in alongside him, squabbling over the last bits, but today she only picked at the contents of her plate. Kristoff noticed.

"Hey. You nervous?"

"Me? Nah. Definitely not. I was born with nerves of steel."

He snorted. "Sure. I can believe that, if you hadn't screamed like a girl when Sven accidentally brushed against you."

"He was cold and wet! I was caught off guard! And in case you haven't noticed, Kristoff, I _am_ a girl!"

"Could've convinced me otherwise. Ow."

The redhead huffed in outrage, but most of the bluster was gone out of her voice. She returned to picking at her breakfast. Her friend smiled and reached across the table to give her shoulder a friendly nudge; being nearly twice her size, however, he nearly pushed her off her chair. She returned his smile, albeit weakly.

"You'll be fine. I bet you'll get an awesome name."

"Like Kristoff?"

He puffed out his chest, deliberately oblivious to her sarcasm. "Kristoff is a fine name, with thousands of years of history, roaming the icy plains herding reindeer. I'm the 30,595th Kristoff to bear that name, you know."

The girl rolled her eyes. "That must be the 30,595th time you've told me that."

Kristoff threw a bread roll at her. It bounced off her forehead. "Eat up, or you'll miss your Naming."

* * *

In the village square, the redhead waved to Kristoff before joining the other Nameless youths who were of age. They milled around the centre, dressed in their finest clothes, talking excitedly amongst themselves.

"Red!"

"Hi, Blondie."

The girl bounced over, the long blonde hair she was nicknamed for tied up into a massive braid. "I'm so excited! I wonder what name I'm going to get. Maybe one of the legendary ones: Eleanor, or Elizabeth, or Regina…"

"Those are royal names, no way one of us is going to be Named."

"It could happen. My mother told me about a boy, years ago, so low he didn't even have a nickname. At his Naming, they found that he was the heir to House Agrabah."

Red snorted. "That sounds like one of those fairytales they tell to keep Nameless' spirits up."

"Fine. Be that way, grumpy pants."

"My pants are emotionally balanced, thank you."

Blondie was spared having to retort when the fanfare played, and the Namesmith climbed the stage. She frowned. "Hey, that's not Ursula."

The woman was young and very fair, with blonde hair in a tight bun at the base of her neck. They were near enough to see her face; Red thanked her lucky stars they had picked a spot close to the front. "Greetings," she said clearly, her throat microphone amplifying the sound, "I am Elsa Idunn of House Arendelle, and I am replacing Ursula Vanessa of House Atlantica as Namesmith from this year onward."

There was scattered clapping, as though the people didn't know how to react.

"The Naming is the most important event in our society; it gives a person their identity, shows them their place in the world, and teaches them how they may carry it out to the best of their ability. It is my great responsibility and honour to be the Namesmith for you today and from now on." She nodded, and two men brought a massive leather-bound book on the stage, laying it on the rostrum before her. "The Naming ceremony proceeds as follows: you have been assigned numbers based on your order of birth; when your number is called, step forward into the chamber."

They all knew this by heart; the words never varied.

"Number 1."

A scrawny pale boy stepped up to the stage, holding out his arm; he winced as the Namesmith jabbed the long silver needle into his skin, drawing a drop of blood. She studied her instruments carefully, frowning as she consulted the book.

"Milo."

The boy – Milo now – looked elated; he had received a Greek name, denoting him as a member of the scholar class. He bowed jerkily at the waist and left. Elsa ignored him, already calling out the next number.

"She's a friendly one," remarked Red dryly. Ursula enjoyed the fawning attention grateful Named ones lavished on her – the redhead had always suspected more than a few youths who caught her attention were Named to serve in the pleasure district. Blondie shushed her, watching intently as a smug-looking Gaston joined the hunter class.

"Number 46."

"Good luck," whispered Red. Blondie climbed the stairs, holding her breath as her blood was analysed.

"Rapunzel."

She frowned. It wasn't immediately apparent what class her name belonged to. That could go both ways; either she was from the more exclusive social classes, or those lower dregs of society who performed the jobs no one wanted to.

Elsa motioned for Rapunzel to go. The girl did so slightly reluctantly, casting a quick look at Red.

Finally, it was Red's turn. "Where did Blon-Rapunzel go?" she blurted out.

The Namesmith paused, eyes widening with surprise. They were impossibly blue. "That is none of your concern. Hold out your arm."

"I demand to know where you've sent her." Red's lower lip jutted out, her face set into a mask of determination. The other woman faltered for a instant.

"Red!" That was Kristoff's voice in the background. She glanced to the side to see him struggling with the cyborg guards. If he was using her proper nickname, it was a sign she was in trouble.

"… she will be a Keeper."

Red looked up. "What?"

Elsa looked directly at her, her face emotionless. "She will be one of those who keep the genealogies in the Great Record. I did not send her to the pleasure quarters."

"Oh." She felt very foolish for having caused a scene. Red pulled up her sleeve, baring her forearm to the Namesmith, biting her lip as the needle pierced her skin.

The dials moved, the numbers flashed, and Elsa pored over the readings. A frown marred her smooth skin. "This cannot be possible." Her elegant fingers danced over the buttons. More numbers flashed, and her frown deepened.

Finally, she set her instruments down, a blank expression smoothing her features over. "Anna Brigit of House Arendelle."

"… Wait, what?"

* * *

At a nod from Elsa, the guards let Kristoff through. "It figures," he said, shaking his head, "you couldn't just have one name, Fiestypants."

"Anna," said Elsa frostily, "her name is Anna now. She is a Named, so you will address her properly as Lady Anna of Arendelle."

Red – now Anna – flushed crimson. "It's okay – Kristoff is my best friend. We've known each other since we were children."

"He is a commoner."

Kristoff laid a firm hand on Red's shoulder, quelling her vociferous protests. "She's right."

"But I'm not – !"

"Blood does not lie. All 46 markers match the records." Elsa stared impassively at them both. "Now come, we have wasted enough time here."

"Come?"

"To the city. Your new home."

A sickening sensation filled Red's stomach. "You can't – _this_ is my home!" She stepped backwards, closer to Kristoff, who was gripping her shoulder hard enough to hurt.

"This place is not fit for one of the Named," said the Namesmith, her lip curling faintly.

"Lady Arendelle – "

"You will call me Elsa. I am your sister now." She waved a hand, and guards yanked Kristoff away, dragging him outside. The worst part was his lack of a struggle the entire time, his eyes filled with silent apology even as Red's were blurry with tears.

* * *

"Anna? You didn't come down for dinner."

The girl turned red and swollen eyes on Elsa. "You didn't even let me say goodbye to him," she said accusingly.

"You wasted your chance with futile protests."

She sneered. "This entire thing is stupid. Why am I, a teenager from the outskirts, suddenly your long-lost sister? Don't you nobles keep a closer eye on your kin?"

"As I said before, blood does not lie. You carry the 46 markers denoting a member of House Arendelle." Elsa turned to leave. "Your behavior tonight is excused – I shall inform Mother and Father that you are ill. Tomorrow you are expected to fulfil your duties."

"Like hell I will."

Elsa made no response to that.

* * *

When she came downstairs, driven by hunger and a strong curiosity, she found Elsa seated at a table – and a massive portrait looming over the room. A man and a woman were depicted in the picture, standing formally side-by-side.

"Anna," said Elsa, "I am delighted you are joining us tonight."

She made no reply, but sat down at the only empty seat at the table.

"She looks like you, Idunn," said the painted figure of the man. Red squeaked in surprise. "You talked!" She stared at Elsa. "The painting talked!"

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "Have you never seen a Memoryframe before?"

"A what?"

"A simulacrum of living people," said the man in the portrait. "The people we were are dead now. We are just electronic projections of their appearances and personalities – coded into computer data – and preserved in this picture."

Red's gaze traveled from the faintly amused-looking couple in the portrait, to Elsa's puzzled expression. "That's pretty creepy."

The man laughed. "She reminds me of you when you were young."

"Anna, these are our parents; Agdar and Idunn," said Elsa. "They passed away three years ago."

"Oh." The redhead didn't know what to say.

"You will have plenty of time to talk with them later. For now, it is time to eat."

* * *

Red stared out the window, marveling at the lights of the city; there were just so many, and in myriad colours.

The most mesmerizing thing were the greenish lights that danced overhead and mirrored the city.

"Those are the Northern Lights."

She jumped. Elsa had entered, clad in a simple nightgown. "The what?"

"The common name for Aurora Borealis. Centuries ago, people thought that they were caused by cosmic rays, solar wind, and magnetospheric plasma interacting with the upper atmosphere."

"Wait, what?"

The blonde smiled. "It is not important. But scientists later discovered that they are really caused by the fifth fundamental force – quantum gravity – affecting light."

"… I have no idea what you've just said. All of it."

"That is fine. You will begin your lessons in the morning." At Red's despairing face, Elsa added, "That was a joke."

"You made a joke."

Elsa raised an eyebrow – the same gesture Red had seen the portrait make. "Is there something wrong?"

"No – it's just that – you don't seem to have any emotions at all. It's just – strange, that you told a joke. You're like a robot, or something," laughed Red nervously.

At that, Elsa's expression froze. "It is late. You should be in bed."

"Elsa – "

"Good night, Anna."

* * *

Red was accustomed to having bombshell after bombshell being dropped on her; it came with the territory after her Naming, when she went from being the poor orphan scratching out a living with her reindeer herder best friend, to the younger daughter of one of the world's oldest noble families.

But the last wasn't as it seemed.

"What do you mean, you're a robot?"

"Precisely that," replied Elsa serenely. "House Arendelle lost its heir – you – when you were a baby. I was secretly built and programmed with the personality of your deceased older sister, and set to take your place until you were found." Elsa paused to give Red a small smile. "Why do you think my favourite phrase is 'conceal, don't feel'?"

"I just." Red rubbed her temples. "I have a headache."

"There is nothing too difficult to comprehend." Elsa laid a hand on Red's arm. "I am not human. You are. Thus, it is clear that you are the heir to House Arendelle, not me."

"But you're a Namesmith – "

"You are perfectly capable of becoming one yourself, after training. You are an exceptionally gifted young woman."

Red opened her mouth, and then closed it with a snap. "… I can't do this alone."

"You are not alone." Elsa leaned down, wrapping her arms around Red's neck. "You will always have me – even if I am not your true sister."

"No."

"Anna?"

"You're more than my sister," said Red fiercely, turning in Elsa's embrace and kissing her. Elsa didn't immediately pull back, standing rigidly until the younger girl pulled away. "Is something wrong?" she murmured.

Elsa's cheeks pinked. "I am a robot," she began, "you are a human – "

"Yeah? Well, everything about me is unconventional anyway." Red laughed softly. "You're a robot with my dead sister's personality. It can't get any worse than this."

"I am programmed to believe this is wrong."

Red blinked. "Elsa, are you capable of feeling love?"

"Yes, but – "

"Do you love me?"

"Yes, but – "

"Then I fail to see how incest – which technically doesn't apply, seeing as you're not even human in the first place – bothers you so much," finished Red dryly.

Elsa fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "I am scared."

"Same. I've never done this before." Red reached for her hand, took it gently in hers. "But we've got each


	7. A Girl Who Stared At The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything changed when she woke up with a tangle of black marks on her chest, directly over her heart. They spelled a word that made her voice catch in her throat. Soulmate!AU, oneshot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 7 prompt: Favourite!AU. The soulmate!AU isn’t exactly my favourite type of AU, but I’ve had this idea floating around for the longest time. As usual this has been written and rewritten until death, until [curionenene](curionenene.tumblr.com) gave me the opening quote that prefaces this oneshot.

" _What's the difference?" I asked him. "Between the love of your life, and your soulmate?"_

" _One is a choice, and one is not."_

* * *

The doorbell rings. Anna frowns; Kristoff has his own key and he knows to let himself in. Checking her watch, she thinks it's a bit late for visitors.

"Coming," she calls, washing her hands and wiping them dry on her jeans.

Her sister is standing in the doorway.

The smile that's starting on Anna's face freezes. "What are you doing here?" Her voice lacks both inflection and interest. "What do you want?"

Elsa looks like she's on the verge of tears, but wordlessly she takes out her phone and holds it out in front of Anna. There's a photo of Elsa, and a good-looking young man with auburn hair on the screen. He has one arm casually slung around Elsa's shoulders, smirking into the camera lens. Anna dislikes him instantly.

"His name is Hans," says Elsa, "and we're getting married."

* * *

_Anna couldn't really remember a time she and Elsa had acted like sisters. Sure, they lived in the same house and ate meals together, but Elsa didn't really spend time with her. They merely co-existed, and the occasional "pass the salt, Anna" was the extent of their conversations._

_Anna was nothing if not infinitely forgiving, though. She'd read plenty of books and blogs which talked about teenage phases and growing out of them – useful when dealing with her parents and their expectations. She understood some people needed plenty of space to function. The redhead herself was a self-described live wire; always invited to the biggest parties, hanging out with the most popular kids; in contrast, when she wasn't in school, Elsa spent all her time locked in her room._

_So Anna didn't say anything. She'd smile at her sister when they happened to meet, and she didn't insist on making conversation if Elsa didn't want to talk (which was pretty much all the time). She listened for the thump of Elsa's footsteps on the stairs, the clicking of her bedroom lock, and left chocolates outside Elsa's door for her to find later._

_Everything changed when she woke up with a tangle of black marks on her chest, directly over her heart. They spelled a word that made her voice catch in her throat._

_"Mama," she began as she helped her mother with the dinner dishes later that day, "my friend Kristoff told me he woke up with this mysterious tattoo thingy that spelt out someone's name."_

_"Oh?"_

_"Yeah. So I was wondering what the heck that was, because it's a really big coincidence that it happens to look like a name?"_

_"It's a soulmate tattoo," explained her mother quietly. "It's the name of the person you're meant to be with."_

_"Oh." Her eyes remained focused on her scuffed sneaker, and the black mark on the side. "That's convenient."_

_"You haven't gotten one of your own yet?"_

_Anna jumped. "Who, me? I – no, definitely not. Nope."_

_The older woman laughed softly. "Don't worry, it'll appear when it does. Everyone has one." She put away the last of the dishes. "So who's the lucky girl for Kristoff?"_

_"Uh – I don't know. I didn't recognize the name."_

_"I see. Well, he'll find her someday." Her mother smiled wistfully. "No matter how big the world is, there's always someone for them, somewhere out there."_

_Anna was struck by a sudden thought. "Aren't there plenty of people with the same name? How can you tell which one's your soulmate?"_

_"I'm not sure. I've heard of some people who never managed to find their soulmate, but it rarely happens." A sad look crossed her face. "I believe it comes down to luck in the end."_

_"But – speaking completely hypothetically of course – what if your soulmate is right in front of you, all along, but you couldn't be with them?"_

_"That would be a tragedy." Her mother's eyes lost that faraway quality, taking on a focus that made Anna squirm. "Is there any particular reason you have for asking?"_

_"No, none at all." Under her shirt, the name_ Elsa Brundtland _seared the skin directly over her heart. Anna resisted the impulse to touch it, keeping her hands balled tightly at her sides._

* * *

Anna's expression still has yet to change.

"Anna…?"

The sound of her name jerks her out of her trance; her lip quirks. "What do you want me to say?" She gives a harsh bark of laughter. "Are you expecting me to give my blessing?"

"No! I just…" Elsa's shoulders slump. "I wanted you to know."

"Is that all?"

The blonde pulls a stiff, cream-coloured card from her bag; Anna snorts. "You're not serious."

"I want us to be sisters again."

"So did I, until you threw it back into my face," spat the redhead, "and now you seem to think attending your wedding will make everything go back to normal."

"Anna, I'm sorry."

"So am I." Anna's face closes off abruptly.

* * *

_Anna chose not to tell anyone about her soulmate mark – because, really, who's going to believe that she has her sister's name written on her?_

_More importantly, who would accept the taboo it implies?_

_So while her classmates, one by one, got their marks and paired off, Anna perfected the weak smile and shrug whenever someone asked her about her own mark. Eventually they stopped asking._

_Elsa graduated high school and went to college. Three years later, so did Anna – it was a coincidence the younger girl was accepted to the same school as her sister. Elsa didn't comment on it._

_Life went on in quiet sepia hues until the phone call that brought everything crashing down around her ears._

* * *

She finds the perfect dress for the occasion. It's royal blue, Elsa's favourite colour; bright enough to catch her sister's attention in the crowded reception, yet muted enough to let the bride be the centre of attention on her big day.

She chooses to attend the wedding partially because she doesn't want Elsa to field endless questions about her absence from nosy relatives, and mostly because she doesn't want to believe Elsa is gone until she sees it with her own eyes. Kristoff, looking uncomfortable in a suit, accompanies her.

"You look good," says Anna, patting his arm. He blushes.

"Thanks. You look really beautiful."

"These heels are killing me, though." They laugh; Anna doesn't wear anything higher than ballet flats if she can help it, but the elegant pumps look like they were made for the dress.

Guests mill around the hall, making small talk as they wait for the ceremony to start. Anna excuses herself and goes to find Elsa.

The bride sits at a large vanity, a point of calm surrounded by the chaos of twittering bridesmaids and enthusiastic helpers. Anna places her hands lightly on Elsa's shoulders, letting her fingers graze bare skin for an instant. "Hi."

"You came," says Elsa. Tears are brimming in her eyes. "Anna, I – "

"Hey, now, you'll smudge your makeup." Anna's lips ghost over Elsa's cheek, to the corner of her ruby lips; they part a fraction. "Of course I'd come, silly goose, I'm your favourite little sister," says the redhead loudly for the benefit of the room, enunciating the last word with a precision that makes Elsa drop her gaze.

"Only sister."

Anna grins mirthlessly. "That as well."

The older woman's arms are tight around her waist. "Whatever the reason, I'm just glad you're here."

"… Me too."

* * *

_Anna stared straight ahead, dry-eyed and white-faced. It was raining, in some horrible cosmic cliché, and she watched as the coffins were lowered in. Elsa stood a little way off under her black umbrella, lips pressed together in a thin white line, fingers curled into a fist by her side._

We only have each other, _thought Anna. It made her feel suddenly, horribly, alone, and she reached for Elsa's hand, her icy-cold fingers curling around her sister's. The blonde girl stiffened, and she glanced backwards; instantly, she yanked her hand out of Anna's. In response, Anna folded her arms across her chest, pretending she didn't care._

_Tears finally welled up in her eyes, blurring the rain and the graveyard into a hopeless mess. When her uncle put a warm hand on her shoulder and led her to the car, Anna stumbled along blindly._

_The rest of the funeral passed in a haze of numbness; Anna was thankful no one expected her to talk, taking her silence as inconsolable grief. The only thing that remained constant was Elsa's presence at her side; hovering, as though not really wanting to be around, but still there nevertheless. She resented that; Elsa acting like she was the caring big sister, when in reality she didn't even want to touch Anna._

_She needed air. Anna went out to the back porch._

_Footsteps creaked on the wooden boards. "Hi," said Elsa._

_"Hi, me?" responded Anna bitterly. "You're talking to me?"_

_There was a pause. "Anna," began the blonde quietly, "if this is about what happened earlier, I'm sorry. I was startled, I didn't mean to react so harshly."_

_"You were startled by your_ sister _trying to hold your hand as we buried our_ parents _?" Anna turned to look at Elsa, and immediately wished she hadn't; the older girl's eyes gleamed with tears. "… Shit. That was – I'm sorry."_

_"It's fine." To Anna, that distant tone was anything but fine, but she was too emotionally drained to really care. She looked away._

_The floorboards creaked as Elsa sat down beside her._

_"What's gonna happen to the house?" The redhead said after a long pause in an attempt to change the subject._

_"The house?"_

_She waved a vague hand. "We'll be going back to college soon. Is it gonna stay empty until we get back, or…?"_

_Elsa bit her lip. "I don't know, Anna; what are you going to do after graduation?"_

_"I think that's something you should answer, since you'll be graduating this year."_

_"If you want to move elsewhere, we'd have to sell it," said the elder girl, avoiding Anna's words completely, "it's too big for you to maintain."_

_"Me? What about you?"_

_"What about me?"_

_"Aren't you staying here? You have plans to move?"_

_She looked flustered. "That's not important – "_

_"The hell, Elsa. We've only got each other now. You're my sister. The least you could do is act like it. I mean – after all these_ years _…"_

 _The blonde's hands fidgeted in her lap. Anna sighed. "God, I'm such an idiot. I really need to stop taking out all this…_ resentment, _on you." She neglected to say what had caused the resentment. Elsa seemed to catch the implication._

_"I understand, Anna, and it's perfectly fine. You've been – so patient with me, all this while, and though I don't act like it…" Elsa looked up, smiled faintly. "I truly am grateful."_

_"Oh. That's good." All of Anna's pent-up frustration seemed to ebb away, hearing what seemed to be the longest single thing her older sister had said to her. "Are you_ sure _you're fine?"_

_"Yes." Elsa got up. "Excuse me, but I'm going back to school."_

_"Already?"_

_"I have an important project."_

_"Oh." Anna scrambled to her feet as well. "I'll go back with you – "_

_"It's fine, Anna," said Elsa firmly. "You don't need to rush."_

_Which was just another way of saying Elsa didn't want her around. "Fine," mumbled Anna dully. "I'll see you around?"_

_Elsa didn't reply. The porch door creaked as she shut it behind her._

_Anna heaved a sigh, propping her elbows up behind her and slumping back. "Good job, Anna," she said aloud. "Way to talk to your big sister."_

_In truth, she was a little alarmed by how much resentment she had been harbouring unconsciously. Anna recognized a lot of it stemmed from their childhood interactions – or lack thereof – but the thought of her soulmate mark, and the stigma it carried, had never been far from her mind._

_It didn't help that Elsa was probably normal, in spite of her social inadequacy._

_She was the anomaly. Elsa probably had some guy's name written on her body in some place Anna would never find out, and she would finish college, get a job, and move on in life, meeting him on the way. There'd be children, happy little children with soulmates of their own that were unrelated to them, and the cycle could continue._

_And she'd stay single so when they met for Christmas and birthdays, Elsa would ask about her lack of a partner and she would laugh it off with some poor joke about not being able to find Mr. Right, despite having his name written somewhere._

_The irony made her smile._

* * *

"Elsa? Can I talk to you?" Anna shoots a venomous glance at the twittering woman still hovering around them; the rest have already taken the hint and left. "Alone?" she adds pointedly.

"Of course." Gently but firmly, Elsa propels her makeup artist out of the room, and then locks the door behind her.

The redhead takes deep, calming breaths; now they're alone, she can let her brave mask slip a little. Quickly, before Anna can move, Elsa cups her sister's face in both her hands; she presses her forehead to Anna's, lets their breaths mingle. The younger woman's eyes widen, but she doesn't pull away.

"I love you."

Anna laughs hollowly. "A bit late for that."

"Then what do you want me to say?"

Her mouth works for a second. "Elsa – we've said all that needed to be said." She gently dislodges Elsa's hold. "Whatever we were, it's over."

"Anna – "

The redhead shakes her head at the distraught expression Elsa's wearing. "Did you think I was going to ask you not to marry him?"

"No," is her whispered reply, but Anna hears _yes yes yes_.

She hasn't seen Elsa this alone and vulnerable in years; always the understanding one, Anna relents. "Elsa, don't force yourself through this," she says evenly.

Elsa starts. "I'm not forcing myself," she states blandly, "I love him."

"You're not in love with him."

"What do _you_ know about love, Anna?"

"What?"

"All you know is _this_ ," she says, pressing a hand over her heart, "and this isn't love. It's just a soulmate mark."

"Maybe." Anna's eyes turn flinty. "But I wasn't the one pretending to be in love with someone else."

Elsa's only reaction is a tightening of her jaw. "I made a mistake."

"Yes, I know."

"Not about lying to you." Elsa takes a deep breath. "But to myself."

The redhead blinks; there's a resolute defiance in Elsa's eyes that hasn't been there before. In another time, another life, she would have fallen all over again for her.

"We're _sisters_."

She comes crashing back to reality. "As you keep reminding me," says Anna tiredly. She turns to leave, but a hand catches her wrist. Elsa looks like she's about to say something, but her sister shakes her head.

Her hand drops limply to her lap.

* * *

_She was in her room, scribbling away at her notes, making absolutely no sense, when the phone rang. Anna scrambled for it – she was expecting a call from Kristoff after he finished his lecture, they were supposed to meet for dinner later on –_

_"Huh," said the redhead, staring at the phone screen. An unfamiliar number. Normally she avoided answering those because they tended to be telemarketers, but she was in a good mood that day._

_"Hello?"_

_A beat. "… Hello? Anna, is that you?"_

_"Yeah. Who is this?"_

_"It's me. Elsa. Your sister," she added, totally unnecessarily._

_Belatedly, Anna remembered it was her turn to speak. "Elsa? Hi. Uh – what's up? I mean, you don't normally call me – actually, you never call me – you changed your number or something? You said you had a big project, is it done?"_

_"Yes," said Elsa._

_"Oh. That's good."_

_"It is." A pause. "How are you?"_

_"I'm doing okay."_ I totally am. I wasn't hugging the framed family photo from my desk to sleep last night, biting my knuckle hard enough to draw blood so my roommate wouldn't hear me sobbing. No, I'm coping just fine. _"How about you?"_

_"I'm fine too."_

_"Good." Anna fidgeted. She paused, and then opened her mouth –_

_"Are you free on Friday?"_

_"Friday?" The redhead was completely taken aback. While not impossible, face-to-face interaction was simply something Elsa did not do well. "Sure, what have you got in mind?"_

_"We need to discuss the house."_

_"Oh. The house." Anna remembered they had left the subject open. "Okay."_

* * *

If Kristoff had noticed how unusually pink Anna's face is, or her lower lip is trembling, he doesn't comment on it, holding out his arm for her to take. She doesn't look at him as he escorts her to their place in the pews.

Anna stares straight ahead as the bridesmaids take their place, deliberately oblivious to the susurration from her relatives, curious why she isn't among them. Kristoff leans in to whisper in her ear: "I'm glad you aren't up there; the dress would clash horribly with your hair." His eyebrows rise comically as he jerks his chin at her cousin Ariel. "I mean, look at all that pink. Your sister is a merciless woman." She snorts a little at the idea of Elsa as a bridezilla, and squeezes his hand; he squeezes back.

Hans is devastatingly handsome in his tailored suit. The photo Elsa showed her doesn't do him justice. He stands, hands clasped before him, eyes fixed on the doors at the end of the hall.

When the bridal march plays, everyone stands and looks at the bride. Anna continues to stare at Hans. She only looks away when the officiant says, "I pronounce you husband and wife," and when she bursts into tears, everyone takes it for tears of joy.

* * *

_Anna was there uncharacteristically early, having relocated her paper-writing session to the coffee joint from her dorm room so she wouldn't be late. She was hunched over her phone, hard at work procrastinating, when a voice startled her out of her 2048 spree._

_"Anna?"_

_Anna nearly fell off her chair. "Elsa?"_

_The blonde quickly grabbed the back of the chair, steadying her. "Careful," she said._

_To anyone else, she would have shot off a jaunty reply. But this was Elsa. "Okay. Sorry."_

_Elsa smiled vaguely and sat down. She looked very much the same as she had at their parents' funeral; blonde hair tied into a neat bun, teal eyes – the same colour as Anna's eyes – hidden behind over-sized spectacles. Anna chose to ignore the general exhaustion that hung about her person, because final submission deadlines were just around the corner and she knew she looked just as disheveled._

_"Do you want to get coffee first?" asked the redhead._

_"Yeah," she said, holding up her purse. "Do you want anything?"_

_Anna glanced at the three cups littering the table, surrounding her laptop and notes. "Nah, I think I'm good." She poked the nearest cup, checking for the sloshing of remaining coffee; making a happy sound, she picked it up, sipped, and made a face. "Eurgh. Cold coffee." Elsa nodded, and then was off to join the queue._

_The redhead's laptop was off and tucked away in its case by the time Elsa returned. "So… the house."_

_The blonde's manner tightened somewhat, as did her grip on her cup._

_"Yes. The house." Her gaze remained fixed on the table. "I'm going to sell it."_

_"Sell it?"_

_"I've talked to some property agents, they can give us a very nice price."_

_Anna held up a hand. "No, wait a moment, Elsa. You're selling our house?"_

_"Is there a problem?"_

_"Of course there's a problem. You're talking about selling our fucking house without asking me."_

_Elsa frowned. "There's no need for such language, Anna."_

_"I just – our parents have been buried a week!" From the sudden hush that followed her words, Anna realized that she had been shouting; she blushed. "Sorry. It's a bit… sudden."_

_"It's fine."_

_"But – you're selling the house." Memories flashed in her mind; lazy summer days spent lounging in the yard with Kristoff. Sitting in the cosy kitchen. Watching television together in the living room – no. She would not think of her parents. Anna blinked rapidly._

_Elsa leaned back in her chair. "Not our things, of course. I'll be putting those in storage until we both graduate and find our own places." Anna didn't miss the plural._

_"Fine," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "Sell the house. Get rid of what we have left."_

_"Anna, I'm thinking about our futures. With Mama and Papa – gone – I have to be responsible for your education."_

_An icy feeling surged through Anna's stomach. "Elsa, you don't mean – "_

_"We're not destitute, if that's what you're worried about," said Elsa, giving her a small smile, "but I think it's better to sell the place rather than leave it empty."_

_"Oh." Anna sipped her cold coffee, grateful for something to do._

_"Anna – I was just wondering… How are you?"_

_The abrupt question caught Anna off guard. "How am I?"_

_"As in, after... the accident."_

_A pang of sadness tugged at Anna's chest. She took a big gulp of coffee. "Yeah. I'm doing okay. Busy with school and all."_

_Elsa smiled sadly. "It doesn't feel real, doesn't it?"_

_"… No." Anna wouldn't admit she'd repeatedly dialed her parents' numbers just to listen to the ringing tone, and hear their warm voicemail recordings. But she chanced a look at Elsa, and saw the elder girl's eyes mist over with tears. "At the very least, it was quick."_

_"Yeah." Elsa wiped at her face with her sleeve. "We only have each other now."_

_"Elsa…"_

_"Which is pretty ironic, since we've never been close growing up," began Elsa, staring resolutely at her coffee, "what with me always locked in my room when I wasn't in school."_

_"It was fine – "_

_"I was thinking about the other day, on the back porch." Elsa chanced a look upwards at Anna, who blushed._

_"Shit, Elsa, I'm sorry, I was being a little brat."_

_"No, you weren't." Elsa took a deep breath. "You were right. I'm your older sister; it's about time I acted like it. It's only right, given you've been nothing but so patient and understanding with me, this entire time." The blonde smiled weakly. "I noticed."_

_Anna was speechless, but she managed a nod, eyes aglow with happiness._

_Elsa lapsed into silence for a good few minutes; just when the younger girl thought she had withdrawn, she began to speak again. "I didn't want us to go on like this for the rest of our lives."_

_"Me neither," said Anna with a small smile, that was shyly returned._

_The silence that came next was surprisingly comfortable, given the most recent topic of conversation. Elsa continued to stare into her cup, while Anna found the knit pattern on Elsa's oversized sweater strangely fascinating._

_"So – "_

_"Do you think – "_

_They spoke at the same time, and then broke off hastily; embarrassed laughter filled the space. "Sorry," said Anna._

_"No, I shouldn't – " Elsa motioned for her to continue talking._

_"Uh – I was going to ask whether these coffee dates are gonna be a regular thing from now on?"_

_"If you want," said Elsa._

_Anna's heart leapt. Sure, she wasn't any closer to reaching her soulmate – not like she was thinking about that at all – but at the very least her sister wasn't an abstract concept. "I really do want it."_

_Elsa graced her with a soft smile. "Okay."_

_Anna realized she was grinning like an idiot. Cheeks aflame, she dug around for something to do, and settled on her economics notes. The older woman glanced at the pages of messy scrawl, seemingly almost as eager for the distraction. "What's that?"_

_"Hedge funds. Boring stuff. Nothing as interesting as your classes, I'm sure."_

_"Architecture is nice and all, but I really respect people who understand money," said Elsa. "I just don't get it."_

_The redhead couldn't stop the pleased flush that rose into her cheeks. It was a general statement, to be sure, but Anna gladly accepted it as a compliment from Elsa. "I'm not sure I'm anywhere near understanding it yet, though. Right now, the only thing I know is how to spend it."_

_Elsa laughed – actually laughed – and warmth spread through Anna's body. They were having an actual conversation, like normal people. Normal sisters. Elsa wasn't running away, Anna wasn't rambling or being a brat. It was a milestone._

* * *

Anna attacks the open bar with gusto, sampling what seems like every drink on offer. She doesn't care what her relatives think, though Kristoff does his best to fend them off.

"I'm not sure you should be drinking that much," is all he says when she downs a Long Island iced tea in three seconds flat.

"My shister got married," she shoots back, "dish ish a cosh for celebrashion." Anna hiccups, and wobbles away from the counter. "Hey hey, Fiestypants; where are you going?"

"Th' ladiesh," she slurs. "Here, hold dish." Anna thrusts a champagne flute at him, and sashays off.

She retains enough presence of mind to remember why she came, and doesn't immediately collapse in front of the toilet bowl; Anna splashes cold water on her face, and feels better.

"Get a grip on yourself, Brundtland," she mumbles at the haggard-looking girl with bloodshot eyes in the mirror.

There's a flushing sound, and then Elsa emerges from one of the nearby stalls, looking queasy.

Anna doesn't hesitate. She whips around and kisses the blonde with enough force to push her back into the stall. One hand fumbles behind her for the lock, the other clinging desperately to Elsa's gown.

The redhead is so lost in the kiss, she doesn't notice Elsa kissing her back, Elsa's hands sliding around her waist, until she draws back to breathe and her sister tugs on her hips to crash their mouths together again.

They don't need to speak. Elsa moans as fingers slide under her dress and tease soaked panties; Anna's mouth slips lower. Teeth graze Elsa's collarbone on the way down to the swell of her bust. Elsa's head falls back in complete surrender, like so many times before; she moves with Anna, their bodies melding together in a familiar rhythm.

* * *

_The promised coffee dates become coffee runs bookending study sessions, what with finals looming so close, and the fact that these are the last ones for Elsa, who's graduating at the end of the semester. "This way, we get more work done," said Anna cheerfully as she waved off Elsa's apologies. "You make sure I don't procrastinate, I – well – I get to soak in your aura of productivity."_

_The older woman shook her head fondly. They quickly settled in a small nook in the library that was mostly isolated from the rest of the space. Elsa set to work organizing her things into an efficient-looking workspace. Even her handwriting was as refined as she was; neat cursive covered the pages spread around her. Anna whistled._

_"Can you organize my life for me?"_

_Elsa blushed. "I'm sure you're a better organizer than you think you are, Anna."_

_"No way. I mean, you've seen how I work." She waved the raggedy stack of notes she had just pulled out of her backpack. "You know I work in the middle of a grotty pile of paper and chaos."_

_"It works for you, doesn't it?"_

_"Most of the time… once, I accidentally handed in a page of doodles instead of my essay. My professor was not amused."_

_The corners of Elsa's eyes crinkled as she smiled – even as her face remained fixed on the paper in front of her. "I'm sure."_

_While Elsa worked, Anna continued to watch her carefully. She had never seen Elsa's hair out of that tight bun, and her expression – when the younger girl wasn't falling over herself trying to coax a smile or giggle out of Elsa – was drawn. Restrained._

_Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she gathered the scraps of her courage. "Elsa…?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Could I ask you something?"_

_Something flickered in the older girl's eyes. "I suppose."_

_"Are you hiding something from me?" Anna flushed. "Sorry – it sounded a lot nicer in my head."_

_"Hiding something? What makes you think I'm hiding anything from you, Anna?" Elsa was naturally fair, but she was looking paler than normal. Guilt clenched in Anna's chest._

_"I just – I know we've only just started to spend time together, Elsa, and I'm really glad you want to, but it's like you're not really… there, you know what I mean?"_

_Elsa chewed on her lower lip and said nothing. Anna took that as her cue to press on._

_"God, I'm horrible at this. Okay. What I'm trying to say is – we talk. It's great, don't get me wrong. But most of the time I'm the one rambling on. You hardly talk." The redhead leaned in. "I want to get to know you, Elsa. I want to hear about the things you do for fun, stupid things that happened to you, the people you hang out with. Everything."_

_The blonde hadn't moved. Anna's shoulders slumped in defeat._

_"Look, forget it. I'm sorry I said anything, Elsa. I – "_

_"When we were growing up, we… we hardly spent any time together," said Elsa suddenly. She lifted her gaze to meet Anna's for the first time that day; her face was still flushed, but she continued to hold the redhead's gaze._

_Anna bit her lip. "Oh, Elsa; we've gone over that a million times. Yes, we did, but we're together now," she said, as cheerfully as she could. "Plenty of time to make up for that."_

_"No, Anna, you don't understand."_

_"Understand what?"_

_"There's a reason why I avoided you." Elsa looked like she was about to cry, run away, or both. Anna wanted to laugh. "Avoiding me," she said flatly. "So that's what it was? You aren't suffering from social anxiety or some other disorder?"_

_The older sibling flinched._

_"I'm really hoping you have a good reason for that," said the redhead as neutrally as possible._

_"When we were very young, we were playing. There was an accident, I – Anna, I'm so sorry."_

_Anna frowned. "Accident?"_

_"You hit your head. The doctors said you wouldn't remember anything." The blonde took a deep breath. "I hurt you, and I'm sorry."_

_"We were kids. Kids do stupid things – "_

_"Kids don't put their younger sisters into a coma!" Elsa was on her feet now, and the redhead was vaguely aware her voice had risen to a shout. "You almost died, Anna – you were so pale and still, and you were in the hospital for so long, there were a few times I thought..." She broke off with a shudder. "I nearly killed you. I started avoiding you after that, and I asked our parents to respect that decision."_

_It made so much sense; her parents' strange silence when she suggested they get Elsa therapy for her shyness, their constant reassurances that despite her behavior, her sister loved her very much… It hurt her that they had been keeping secrets from her._

_Anna slammed both hands flat on the table. "Elsa, that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard."_

_Elsa's head snapped up from where it had been buried in her hands. "Wait, what?"_

_"How could you do something like that?" In contrast to the blonde's outburst, Anna's voice was trembling, her emotions barely under control. "Didn't you think how selfish you were being?"_

_"I did it to protect_ you _." Elsa's tone was incredulous, hurt even, and a distant part of Anna felt guilty for talking to her elder sister like that._

_"I know. I'm not comparing, but I spent my childhood alone as well, Elsa! And every day I wondered why you wouldn't talk to me, you didn't want to see me – I thought I did something terrible, and you hated me for it!"_

_"I could never hate you!"_

_"I know that now. But not then."_

_An awkward silence descended. Anna wondered absently why they hadn't been ejected from the library yet._

_"You weren't the only one growing up alone," said Anna rather unsteadily, "but at least you knew exactly why."_

_A beat. Elsa looked horrified. "Anna…"_

_"I don't want to hear it, Elsa." She slumped back in her chair, suddenly exhausted. "We've_ both _had a rough time growing up. Let's leave it at that, okay?"_

_Without waiting for an answer, she plowed on: "We still have each other, and now that's out of the way, things can only get better from here. We have the rest of our lives to catch up." Anna managed a small smile. "If that's fine by you?"_

_Slowly, Elsa nodded._

_The sound of a throat being noisily and unnecessarily cleared interrupted them. "Uh," said Anna, quailing under the fearsome gaze of the librarian, "maybe we should leave."_

* * *

They don't look at each other as they exit the stall and wash up at the sinks. Anna smooths down her dress; it's suffered less than Elsa's, but there are telltale wrinkles that would attract more unwanted attention.

She'll take care of it later; she knows exactly how.

"Anna…"

The redhead whirls on her. "I'm not sorry about what we did," she says, eyes flashing, "and I never will be. I don't regret a single moment, Elsa." She storms out before the older woman can respond.

Kristoff is waiting for her in one corner, slouching against the wall; he springs upright when he catches sight of her and hurries over. "I thought you'd passed out in the bathroom," he says dryly. She grins at him, bright and artificial.

"Perish the thought."

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Much," she says, and throws her arms around his neck to pull him down for a kiss. His cheeks flame red instantly – Anna knows he hates public displays of affection – but surprisingly he doesn't push her away.

The band welcomes the newly-married couple onto the dance floor for their first waltz; Anna doesn't look back as she drags Kristoff away in search of a secluded place.

* * *

_Huffing and puffing, Anna tossed her duffel bag into the back of Elsa's car. "Done."_

_"That's it?"_

_"Yep."_

_Elsa blinked. "For some reason, I would never have guessed you were the type that traveled light."_

_Anna cackled. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me."_

_The Elsa from a month ago would have ducked her head, looked away; this Elsa simply laughed. "Well, I suppose I'll find out over the next few weeks."_

_The redhead grinned. "The same goes for you!" By unspoken agreement, they didn't bring up the past._

_"Anna…"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Are you sure about this? I mean – going back home with me?" Anna raised an eyebrow; face flushing, Elsa continued before her sister could respond. "You could be enjoying your summer with your friends instead of clearing out the house."_

_"Elsa," said the redhead patiently, "it's our house. I'm not letting you go through all that stuff alone. And we said we'd spend more time together, right? Sisters?" She reached over and patted Elsa's hand. "I really am looking forward to spending time with you."_

_"So you're sure?"_

_"Absolutely."_

* * *

"Not that I dislike spontaneous acts of passion," says Kristoff dryly, straightening his tie, "but what was the reason for that?"

Anna grins, sticking her hand down the front of his pants. "I missed you," she coos to his crotch. He swats playfully at her. "Fine, I was joking. What, can't I show my boyfriend how much I love him?" She leans over to kiss his cheek.

"There are other ways to do that, you know. God, your dress is a mess." He attempts to smooth out the wrinkles with his huge hands. "Everyone will guess what we did."

"That's their problem." She unlocks the storeroom, peeping out to make sure the coast was clear.

When they sneak back into the ballroom, Anna knows Elsa is looking at her. She doesn't care.

* * *

_Anna perked up noticeably when their coffees and muffins arrived. "I need chocolate before I can function," she said, devouring half of her chocolate chip muffin in one bite._

_Elsa smiled and nodded. Despite the early hour, the blonde was as impeccable as always. "I'm very fond of chocolate too."_

_Anna brightened. "Really?"_

_"Really."_

_The redhead finished the rest of her muffin just as Elsa took a dainty forkful of hers. "I heard you on the phone yesterday afternoon," said Anna. "Job interview?"_

_"Yes." The blonde peeled the paper away from the sides. "It's with a local architectural firm, they need an urban planner."_

_"Oh! That sounds awesome! I really hope you get it!"_

_"Thanks."_

_Anna swirled her coffee. "I can't believe the house is gone. It's a good thing you found an apartment quickly, yeah?"_

_"It was a lucky thing," agreed Elsa. "I've made my own arrangements, and you'll be in the dorms for the next three years. Everything worked out nicely."_

_"You'll have room for me when I come back for the summer holidays, won't you?"_

_The blonde laughed at the puppy dog expression Anna was wearing. "Always," she said warmly._

_Anna beamed._

* * *

"Anna," whispers Kristoff, "I think your sister wants to talk to you."

"Well, I don't want to talk to her," responds Anna. She marches ahead, her hand tight on Kristoff's sleeve.

"You should." He draws back, face set in a serious expression she doesn't see on him very often, and she knows he isn't kidding. Anna heaves an angry sigh and turns around.

Elsa's wringing her hands, a nervous tic of hers the redhead's intimately familiar with. "What is it, Elsa?" There's a bite to her words that she didn't intend, but Anna remains unapologetic. With a polite nod to Elsa, Kristoff retreats to a distance to give them some privacy.

"I just – I want to know that we're still fine." Elsa's eyes dart from left to right – Kristoff is occupied with his phone – and then back to Anna. "Anna, you're my sister, no matter what."

"Even after what we did?" she snaps back, but her voice has lost its bitterness; she knows she's relented, as she always does when Elsa is concerned. The redhead catches herself looking into those teal eyes. "Sisters," Anna concedes in her best conciliatory tone – which both she and Elsa know isn't very much at all.

 _I love you_ , mouths Elsa.

Anna's expression falters. She closes her eyes and stands there for the longest time.

Just before she turns to grab Kristoff and leave, Anna's lips move.

 _I love you, too_.

* * *

_"Anna? Are you – "_

_"No, don't come in – !"_

_The redhead fumbled with her shirt, but it was too late; Elsa froze, her hand still on the doorknob. She backed out of the room._

_"Elsa, wait!"_

_Anna dashed out once she was decent, finding her older sister sitting on the couch. Her mouth moved, searching for the words she needed to say._

_"… I guess you know now."_

_Elsa didn't respond._

_The redhead slumped into the nearest chair. "I got it when I was fourteen," she said tonelessly. "Nobody knows, not even Mama and Papa." Anna gave a little laugh. "I mean, who am I gonna tell?"_

_When Elsa remained silent, Anna sighed. "I know you think it's disgusting and all, but I promise it won't get in the way of us trying to be sisters. We'll just forget about this, okay?" She stood up. "… but if bothers you, I'll understand."_

_She turned to leave – and stopped. A hand clung to the leg of her sweatpants._

_"I have a soulmate mark too," said Elsa, her voice hoarse, "but I've had mine from birth." She tugged on the sleeve of her oversized sweater, and Anna drew a sharp intake of breath._

_"Anna Brundtland," she read aloud. She glanced upwards._

_"I lied about the accident," said Elsa bluntly. "But I suppose now you know why I did that."_

_Anna could only stare at her name on Elsa's chest. The cursive hand was different from the one on her wrist; it was thinner, more refined. It suited Elsa._

_"Our parents knew about mine, I couldn't exactly hide it." Elsa looked away. "They acted like it didn't matter but I could see their disgust whenever they looked at me." She closed her eyes. "I'm a monster."_

_"Elsa, no. Look at me." When the older girl reluctantly complied, Anna pressed on, "You're not a_ monster. H _ow could you even think that – Mama and Papa never hated you, they loved you. They loved us both so much."_

_"I thought it was best I stayed away from you," said Elsa tonelessly. "Maybe over time I could forget about that mark, and you'd find your soulmate. But now – "_

_"Elsa."_

_Her sister stopped talking abruptly, her chest still heaving with emotion._

_Anna reached for Elsa, who visibly stiffened. The redhead smiled reassuringly as her hand hovered in between; when Elsa gave a tiny nod, she cupped her sister's cheek in her hand, her thumb lovingly wiping away the tears that had spilled over._

_"It's okay," she whispered, taking Elsa's hand and squeezing, "You're okay."_

_Elsa whimpered. She let Anna enfold her in a warm hug, clinging to the redhead's shirt, wetting her shoulder with tears._

* * *

Time passes quickly after the longest wedding of her life, and Anna settles into the routine of living her life without Elsa; work, home, Kristoff. Rinse and repeat.

Her doorbell rings. It's late, and Anna has no illusions about who is at her door.

Elsa stumbles in and immediately kisses Anna.

It's a mark of how pathetic Anna is when she doesn't pull away, doesn't ask Elsa what she's doing, but instead kisses back, hands already tearing at her sister's clothes. They collapse on the couch in a tangle of partially-clothed limbs, too preoccupied with each other to care. Elsa tugs off Anna's shirt, her tongue tracing the letters of her name that are branded there; Anna hisses, which quickly turns into a moan when Elsa's mouth finds her nipple.

She attempts to unbutton Elsa's jeans. The blonde stops halfway, sitting up to do it herself, and Anna helps her remove it altogether. Her hand cups wet heat – Elsa pants approval – and her fingers tug aside soaked underwear.

Instead of submitting like that time in the bathroom stall, Elsa swats away Anna's hand, and descends upon her sister, pulling down her shorts nimbly and placing her mouth on Anna's centre; the redhead's hips jerk upwards eagerly.

It doesn't take much for her to come. Only Elsa knows her body better than herself, knows all the right things to make her see stars.

However, Elsa isn't done yet. She strokes Anna's slit – Anna shudders – and plunges two fingers in. The redhead's cry is muffled by a hand thrust over her mouth. Elsa adds another finger and increases her speed.

Just as soon as she comes down from her high, Anna reaches for Elsa again. " _Don't_ ," says the blonde harshly, the first word out of her mouth since she burst into Anna's apartment, "don't _touch_ me – "

Anna's eyes harden. "Elsa, has he hurt you?"

The words snap the older woman out of whatever frenzy she was in. She breaks down, sobbing; Anna enfolds her in a hug.

* * *

_"Elsa, do you love me?"_

_"Anna – "_

_"Just answer the question. Yes or no."_

_"Of course I do. You're my sister." Elsa followed it with a light laugh._

_Anna's eyes narrowed. "You know what I mean."_

_Elsa closed her eyes. Without opening them, she said, "I didn't want us to be strangers for the rest of our lives – especially not after Mama and Papa, when there wasn't anything tying us together. It was perfect – after I'd spent years trying to stay away."_

_"But?"_

_"But I couldn't." The blonde's expression sagged. "I made a mistake."_

_"A mistake?" Anna couldn't keep the hurt out of her voice._

_"I had to protect you from me. I'd done it for years, I could do it again. I'd rather you spent the rest of your life hating me for abandoning you, than knowing about…" She trailed off._

_Anna stared at her sister. "And meanwhile, I was over here hating myself for potentially ruining your life."_

_"You what?"_

_"I thought I was the freak, you know? That you had somebody else's name on you, and you would find that person and live happily ever after. I didn't want you to know I was tied to you."_

_"Anna, it's just a mark."_

_"It's more than that." She laughed shortly. "The idea of you and me_ , together – _doesn't it feel right to you? Like it was meant to be? We spent our lives trying to run from it, but I guess there's no fighting destiny."_

_"What are you saying…?"_

_Anna exhaled. "I admit it was repulsive at first, thinking of doing those things with you. But over time, as I got to know you…" She trailed off, rubbing at her face with the heel of her hand. "You're smart and amazing and just so wonderful – I really like you, Elsa. I know I'm not supposed to feel this way about you but –" She threw her hands up in the air. "It just…_ happened."

_Elsa looked horrified. Before she could open her mouth, Anna added in an undertone, "I don't regret a single bit of it, though."_

_"Anna – "_

_"Elsa, if you told me right now you don't love me in that way, I'll forget this whole conversation ever happened. We stay the way we are; just sisters. We don't even have to be_ that _close. We'll see each other now and then, and talk about jobs and families and other stupid things siblings talk about. I can be happy with that, I promise." Her eyes shone. "Anything but shut me out again."_

_Elsa chewed on her lower lip. "You'll never be truly happy," she said at length._

_Anna smiled mirthlessly. "As will you. You and me, pretending everything is fine. We're in the same situation. Anyway, it doesn't matter; you're my sister, first and foremost. Soulmate tattoos be dammed. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to; you mean more to me than that."_

_She stood up and left the room before her sister could respond._

* * *

Anna's first thought is that the sun is too bright. The second is that it's too hot; she shifts her legs and the blanket rustles.

She doesn't remember making it to bed.

"… Elsa?"

Silence. She pads into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.

Her living room is immaculate – a sure sign she didn't imagine last night, because Anna has never been the tidy person Elsa is. Even the cushions on the couch are perfectly straight.

She presses the heels of her hands to her closed eyes, hard enough to see bursts of colour behind the lids, and still she can't erase the memory of what they did.

* * *

_Anna looked up from her book when her sister came into the room. "Elsa," she began, "what – "_

_Elsa seized Anna's face in both hands and drew her in for a kiss._

_Heat exploded instantly in her stomach and migrated further south. The redhead moved her lips clumsily, working purely on instinct. She slowed down, focusing on what felt natural. Anna's hands cradled the blonde's face gently, relishing the sensation of warm, soft skin._

_Elsa was threading her fingers through auburn hair, Elsa's lips were moulded to hers in a way that made Anna's toes curl. A small moan escaped them – Anna wasn't sure from whom – and she took it as her cue to tilt her head and kiss harder._

_They parted for breath, and Anna attempted to use the respite to further her exploration; she kissed the side of Elsa's neck, only to be halted by a firm yet gentle hand on her shoulder._

_"Anna."_

_It cut through the heated fog that clouded her mind, and the redhead drew back. They locked gazes. Anna knew she must have looked a sight, if Elsa was anything to go by; hair mussed, face flushed, lips slightly parted…_

_"Elsa, I… I don't want to lose you. To lose this."_

_"This what?" Her sister's voice was soft._

_Anna's voice trembled with emotion as well. "I felt it from you too. You want this, maybe as much as I do. Elsa… I can't be alone anymore. Whether with you as my sister or… something more."_

_"Anna, if we – " Elsa broke off, and drew a deep breath before continuing, "– if we do this, you… You know we can never tell anyone about this, right?" The blonde's fingers fidgeted ceaselessly. "You won't get that fairytale marriage and happy family you've always dreamt of."_

_Anna bit her lip. "I stopped believing in fairytales a long time ago, Elsa. Ever since I woke up and saw your name written on me."_

_Elsa had nothing to say to that._

_"… Are you sure?"_

_"Of what?"_

_Anna ignored the hot surge that swept through her, her eyes burning with unshed tears. "You don't – you're not obligated to indulge me and my selfishness."_

_"I'm not." Elsa smiled, brushing Anna's fringe away from her eyes. "I promise."_

* * *

Anna isn't surprised when Elsa shows up at her wedding.

"Hi."

"Hi."

The redhead knows the routine. She takes Elsa's hand, leads her through the crowded ballroom and out the double doors to a secluded balcony.

"You look well," she lies, taking in the way Elsa's dress hangs on her frame, and the bruise makeup doesn't completely conceal. Elsa's eyes narrow, and then travel up Anna's body. "So do you."

Anna smiles, knowing her dress is still too large for her despite having been fitted a month ago, the dark circles under her eyes are still visible to someone who knows they're there, and her smile is entirely too false.

"We're both married now," says Anna, breaking the silence. She holds up a hand, eyeing the ring joylessly.

When her gaze flickers back to Elsa, she's only a little alarmed to see tears coursing down her face. "Why are we doing this to ourselves, Anna?"

The redhead smiles again. "You made your choice. So did I."

"You're not in love with him."

"No," agrees Anna wholeheartedly, "but Kristoff is a good man. I love him."

"He deserves a lot more than what you're giving him."

"Like Hans deserves anything at all from you?" Anna's voice is hard, and Elsa freezes.

"… I've left him."

Anna starts. She hasn't been expecting that. "What?"

Elsa holds up her hand; the redhead finally notices the absence of a ring. "Clearly," she says, "it wasn't working out."

Anna snorts despite herself; Elsa's expression becomes vaguely fond. The sisters share a look.

"Once the divorce is finalized, I'm moving back home." Elsa's eyes meet Anna's. "I've bought our house back."

All the air leaves Anna's lungs.

* * *

_"Elsa, talk to me. There's something wrong, I know there is – "_

_"Nothing's wrong, Anna. Just… just leave me alone."_

_"Don't lie to me," she ground out, snatching Elsa's hand. The blonde refused to look at her. "Is it me? Is it_ this _?"_

_"It's not – " began Elsa jerkily. "You've been wonderful. All of this is. It was like – a dream I never wanted to wake up from."_

_"A dream?" Anna let go. "You think this was a_ dream _? This relationship?"_

 _"Anna, let's be real. We're_ sisters – _we can move, change our names, but it doesn't change the fact we're related by blood. This is_ wrong."

_Anna gave a short laugh. "That's what you said a year ago."_

_"I know. I think…" Elsa passed a tired hand over her face. "I think I've made a terrible mistake."_

_"A mistake?"_

_"I never should have led you on all this while, Anna… I just wanted to make you happy."_

_The redhead's knees gave way; she sprawled on the floor, too shocked to care. "Elsa, are you saying – ?"_

_"I'm sorry." Elsa fell to her knees as well, reached for Anna; the younger woman batted her hand away. Tears spilled down Elsa's cheeks. "I didn't mean to hurt you."_

_"You always do." Hurt shone in Anna's eyes. "I can't believe you lied to me. I told you not to indulge my selfishness, I told you I didn't want to force you into anything. And you – " The redhead clapped a shaking hand to her mouth. "Oh god – we did all those things, Elsa, and I thought – I thought you loved me, you wanted me. You wanted it."_

_"I – "_

_"Just stop. I don't want to see you again."_

* * *

She pauses on the familiar front porch, duffel bag slung over one shoulder, a suitcase behind her. She still travels light.

Nothing has changed much. The walls are still a strange shade of grey, the porch furniture looks like it's seen better days, and the front railing needs a coat of varnish. But it's still home, and she isn't too old to come back.

Anna hesitates before knocking on the door. She isn't sure how she will be received.

Elsa opens the door before her knuckles can touch wood; her smile doesn't reach her eyes, but she steps aside to let Anna in.

"I left him," blurts out Anna, still standing in the doorway. Elsa's eyes are dark, intent; she gestures towards the couch and takes a seat herself.

"I did a lot of thinking – about what you said, and everything I've said." Anna fidgets with the fourth finger of her left hand, remembers she isn't wearing a ring, and sets her palms flat on her thighs. "About everything we've done to ourselves – and each other."

"I just want to go back to a time when life was simpler." She doesn't elaborate; they both know what she means.

Elsa nods, her eyes crinkling into a smile. She reaches for Anna's hand.

"Welcome home."


End file.
